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the magazine volume one 2008
Lifestyle is a bi-annual magazine from Mulpha Land Bhd., published with the primary objective of keeping all
Mulpha privileged guests abreast with the latest lifestyle issues and the Group’s upcoming developments.
Copies of Lifestyle can be obtained from the Mulpha International Bhd. Office. For enquiries, please call
(603) 7957 2233 or (603) 7955 1344 or contact Rachel Toong at [email protected]
CHAIRMANChung Tze Hien
CEOLai Meng
GENERAL MANAGERRonn Yong
EDITORFaridah Hanim
EDITORIAL BOARDRachel ToongMulpha, Malaysia
Terence LeeMulpha Land, Malaysia
Sally MorganMulpha, Australia & Hayman
Thomas ThangMulpha, Vietnam
Karen EvansBimbadgen Estate, Australia
Elizabeth MasselosInterContinental Sydney, Australia
Dush VelcekHilton Melbourne Airport, Australia
Lindsay WallaceSanctuary Cove, Australia
Karen EdwardsNorwest Land, Australia
Peter LewisThe Hotel School Sydney, Australia
Erin MillarHyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, Australia
ADVERTISING/SALES ENQUIRIESRachel Toong+603 – 7957 2233 ext [email protected]
INTERIOR DESIGNDesign Development DepartmentMulpha Land & Property Sdn. Bhd.
PRINTINGLabel Plus Sdn. Bhd.
CONTACTSMulpha International Bhd.(603) 7957 2233Mulpha Australia Limited (Australia)(61-2) 9268 5000Mulpha Vietnam(Asian Fame Dev. Ltd.)(848) 930 4009
DISTRIBUTIONMulpha Lifestyle magazine is a free publication showcasing the quality of life with a controlled circulation of 2,000 copies, offered to an exclusive database through selected distribution channels.
• Mulpha Group of hotels -InterContinental Sydney -Hilton Melbourne Airport -Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove -Hayman Great Barrier Reef• Residents of Leisure Farm Resort & Residences, Johor• Lifestyle brand owners• Professionals
Mulpha International Bhd. is a diversified conglomerate and a component stock of the Bursa Malaysia Composite Index.Listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia securities Berhad since 1983, it has shareholders’ funds of about RM2.4 billion. The Group’s focus is on real estate and property-related services and financial services, with operations and investments in Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong and Australia.
Over the years, Mulpha has leveraged on its expertise abroad to become Malaysia’s largest real estate investor and developer in Australia, owning world-class assets that include Sanctuary Cove and Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove in Queensland, InterContinental Sydney, Hilton Melbourne Airport, Norwest Business Park Sydney, The Hotel School Sydney, Bimbadgen Estate in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley and the world-renowned and award-winning Hayman Great Barrier Reef.
Contentslifestyle with a difference
volume one 2008
quickie 02 faridahhanim
sojourn 04 thebigpicnic
08 hotandheavyalahilton
12 naturalwonder
16 aplayoflines,glassandcolumns
high life 22 mission:provocateur
24 tailoredtoyou
26 somekindofbliss
after hours 28 cultbeautyclassics
32 thebettertwin
36 eatyourwaytobliss
40 ofpaintingsandstories
44 thedoctorsarein
46 thechefspeaks
quic
kie
1. My last holiday was…
InJakartawithmywholefamily.Mykidsjustlovethetoyssoldin
Jakartamallswhichcan’tbefoundinKL.
2. My most recent splurge was…
Cupcakes.IgetmyfixfromthisnewshopatTheCurvethatsellsa
dozenormoreflavours–evengreenteaones!
3. I wish I hadn’t…
Eatenalotcupcakes!(Laughs)
4. I’m currently reading…
DanielleSteele’sSisters.IloveheremotivewritingandI’vegot
allherseries.
5. My secret skill is…
Decoratingthehouse.It’showIde-stress.Sometimesitcanbejust
re-arrangingthefurniture.IgetmyideasfromreadingReal Simpleor
watchingNateBerkusonOprah.
6. My worst habit is...
ThatIgetirritatedeasily.I’mpractisingdeepbreathingnowsoIcan
havemorepatience.IttakesalotofworkbutI’mgettingthere.
7. I love my job because…
Itgivesmeasenseofownershipandindependence.Isharethe
Company’svisionandthinkMulpha’spropertiesareofgreatcalibre.
8. If I wasn’t doing what I’m doing now I would be…
Ascientist.It’salwaysbeenadreamofmine.Whenotherswereplaying
houseIusedtohavemyownlabcoatasachildandwouldfixupall
kindsofexperiments…dreamingofendingworldhungerorfindinga
curefordengue.
9. I wish I had more time to...
Visitartgalleries.I’mafanofCezanne.It’stheotherwayIde-stress,
justlookingatworksofartthatcansometimesmeannothingor
otherwisemeanssomething.
10. People think…
I’mtough,butthat’sbecauseIamfirmwithmydecisions.There’sa
hugeresponsibilitythatcomeswiththejobandthere’resomanyothers
whodependonmecarryingoutmyresponsibilitywell.
11. I am inspired by…
Children’ssincerityandinnocence.Theworldissofullofhatredand
angernowthatsometimesIwishwecouldlearnfromthem.There’sa
lotthatkidscanteachyouifyou’donlywatchandlisten.
Faridahlets on to her softer side.
Faridah Hanim Mulpha International Bhd Corporate Communications Manager
+61 7 5577 6000 • www.sanctuarycove.com
GOLF COURSE LAND NOW SELLING IN AUSTRALIA’S LEADING LIFESTYLE COMMUNITY
Once upon a time there was a magical land known as Sanctuary Cove. 474 picturesque hectares featuring two perfectly manicured
golf courses, shimmering waterways, The Marine Village, the Hyatt Regency Hotel and state-of-the-art marina facilities. Now you can
experience this lifestyle on some of the last golf course land ever to be released at Sanctuary Cove.
These exclusive Banksia Lakes allotments range from 743m2 to 1098m2, with golf course frontage from 19m to 24m. You’ll be one of
the privileged few to live happily ever after while enjoying enchanting fairway views, just a 9-iron from the new Country Club clubhouse.
Live happily ever after.
The Palms Golf Course
The Pines Golf Course
airways as far asthe eye can see…
life
styl
e B IMBADGENESTATE
the big picnicWhat’s the recipe for a good day out? Take one smashing location, sprinkle with lots of sunshine and add a touch of musical extravaganza.
01
TheHunterValley.Itsbreathtakingscenery
ofrollinghills,majesticmountainsand
picturesquevineyardshaslongcalledto
theromantictraveller.Anauraofcharmand
tranquillitysurroundseverynookoftheregion,
whichincludesBimbadgenEstateperched
highonahill.
YetforallthattheHunter’sfamousfor,something
trulyspectacularhappenseveryyear.Infact,it
happensacrossallofAustralia’swineries.
ADayontheGreenisthemuch-anticipated
Summereventseriesoftheyearforboth
localsandtourists.Taggedasthe‘BigDay
OutforGrown-Ups’,ADayontheGreenis
aseriesofoutdoorconcerteventsstagedin
wineriesaroundAustraliaand,morerecently,
inNewZealand.Startedasawayformusic
loverstoenjoycontemporarymusicinanew
environment(ratherthanyourusualsmoky
clubs),revellerstothisoutdooreventcan
expectacombinationofgoodmusicwithall
thetrappingsthatmakeforagreatweekend
outing.
Sinceitsinceptionin2001,ADayonthe
Greenhasproventobeextremelypopular.
Afterall,what’snottolikewhenyougetto
spendyourdayenjoyinglife’ssimplepleasures
inano-fuss,relaxedenvironmentwhile
beingentertainedbysomeoftheworld’stop
musicians?
0504
01 It’sahugepartyonthegreen02 Visualexcitementandstylish
ambience03 Panaceaforthetiredsoul
sojournbimbadgenestate
TheBimbadgenEstateexperiencesetsitself
apartfromtherestwithitsstunningand
picturesquebackdrop.Manypopularartists
havegracedtheamphitheatreofthisbeautiful
estateduringpreviousADayontheGreen
concerts,includingpopularAustraliansingers
JimmyBarnes,MarciaHines,RossWilsonand
theJohnButlerTrio,alongwithinternational
artistessuchasChrisIsaak,LionelRichieand
SteelyDan,tonameafew.
Thisyear,BimbadgenEstateplayedhostto
theinternationallyacclaimedAustralianvocal
superstars,TheTenTenors.Amulti-platinum
sellingvocalgroup,TheTenTenorsperformed
onSaturday,10thMay2008,ontheeveof
Mother’sDay.
Thecrowdturnedoutreadytoindulgetheir
sensesinfinemusic,food,wineandparty.
Therewerefamilies,couplesandgoodfriends.
Everyonewasdressedfortheoccasion
withjustonethinginmind:tohaveagood
time.Somewereseenrelaxingonapicnic
rugwiththeirEscaBimbadgenrestaurant
hamperpicnic,otherswiththeirhome-packed
sandwichesbutalwaysaccompaniedwitha
bottleofBimbadgen’sfinest.
02 03
fordignitariessuchasHerMajestyQueen
ElizabethIIandUSPresidentsGeorgeBush
andBillClinton.
Longafterthemusic’ssilenced,thecrowd
wasseenstillhummingandsingingsilently.All
inall,itwasaperfectendtoaperfectdayout
onthegreen.
Oncethemusicstarted,allthoughtsoffood
evaporatedintothinair.Audiencesweretreated
toadazzlingperformance,withhitsfromthe
TenTenors’Here’stotheHeroesalbum.They
wowedtheaudiencewiththesamebeautiful
voices,uniqueharmonies,charismaandstage
camaraderiethatfirstcaptivatedthecrowd
whentheyperformedlastyear.Thecrowdwent
wildwhentheyweregivenasneakpreview
ofthegroup’slatestalbum,Nostalgica,tobe
releasedlaterthisyear.
AnditseemsliketheAustraliansweren’tthe
onlyoneswhoadoredTheTenTenors;the
bandrecentlyvisited65citiesfor135shows
overa27-weekperiodintheUnitedStates.
Theyalsoperformedtosold-outshowsin
Spain,sangto18sold-outshowsinNew
Zealand,broughtthecrowddownwiththe
AustralianNationalAnthemattheprestigious
BledisloeCupand,wasgiventhehonourto
singattheKingofJordan’sbirthdayinthe
beautifulsettingofPetra,Jordan.How’sthat
forfirst-classentertainment!
Thisyear’sBimbadgenEstate’sshowalso
featuredtwootherspecialguests–The
UniversityofNewcastleChildren’sChoirthat
commencedtheshow,andJamesMorrison.
Asoneoftheworld’sbesttrumpetplayers,
Morrisonisatalentedmulti-instrumentalist
thathashadacelebratedanddiversejazz
career.Notonlyhasheplayedwiththeworld’s
greatestorchestras,hehasalsoperformed
04
04 Greatacousticsformusic05 Guestartistes,TheTenTenors06 Everyonecameouttohavea
goodtime
sojournbimbadgenestate
0706
InadditiontoADayontheGreen,guestscanlook
forwardtoanothermusicaleventatBimbadgen
Estate.TheBimbadgenBlues,nowinits9thyear,
isstampingitsmarkontheAustralianeventscene.
Fourthousandpeopleareexpectedtoattendthe
one-day,six-hourfestivalonSeptember6,2008.
Theline-upincludesheadlineactssuchasJosh
Pyke,Chain,DallasFrascaandherGentleman,Mojo
Webb,MarshallandtheFro,PaulGreene,Johnny
Green’sBluesCowboysandChristinaCroftsallset
toperform.
“BimbadgenEstatehasagreathistoryandiswell-
knownforbringingnationalandinternationalmusical
actstotheHunterValleyhavingheld22outdoor
concertswithover80artistesoverthepast8years”,
saysGeneralManager,MrJohnQuirk.“Whatbetter
waytokickoffspring,andourfestivalseason,than
torelaxwithaselectionofBimbadgenredsand
whiteswhileenjoyingthesoundsoftheblues”,he
concludes.
MoreMusical
DaysAhead
TwostageswillshowcaseAustralia’sbestBlues
andRoots.TheEstate’sprizedrestaurant,Esca
Bimbadgen,willpresentanarrayofdiningoptions,
fromhostingaVIPlunchwithintherestaurant
inspiredbythesoulfoodofthedeepsouth,to
speciallypreparinggourmethampersfortwowhich
canbepre-orderedandpickedupontheday,along
withEsca’sdeliciouseventfarealsoavailablearound
thegrounds.
BimbadgenEstateisoneoftheHunterValley’s
moststrikingandfullyintegratedwineries,situated
highonahilloverlookingthebeautifulHunter.It
offersauniqueexperiencefortouristsinastunning
locationof30-yearoldvineyardswithamulti-award
winningrestaurantEscaonsite.Builtinadistinctive
Australian/Mediterraneanstyle,Bimbadgen,
whichmeans‘lovelyviews’,istrulyaworld-class
endeavour.
0605
life
styl
e H ILTONMELBOURNEAIRPORT
hot & heavy ala hiltonWhen things get a bit down and boring back home, pack the bags – and your partner – for a romantic rendezvous that serves room service with a twist.
01
0908
sojournhiltonmelbourneairport
Whetheritbemarriedcouples,orthose
inalong-termrelationshipwithasignificant
other,itshouldbeunderstoodthathappyand
healthyrelationshipstakealotofwork.The
effortinvolvedwithdeepeningtheconnection
betweenthecouplecanbeenjoyedbyboth
husbandandwife(orsignificantother),thus
developingacloseintimatebondunlikeany
otherkindofrelationship.
BeingromanticisnotjustforValentine’sDay,it
isayear-round“special”occasion.Anditalso
needsalotofeffortandthoughtputintoit.
Theycanrangefromsimpleideastowalking
hand-in-handinthepark,orre-creatingyour
firstdatetogethertoarrangingacandlelit
dinnertostartofftheevening.Stillthereare
otherfunandinnovativeideastospiceup
yourromancequotient,likeleavinglovenotes
aroundthehouseoreatingbreakfastinbed
together.
Andthentherearesimplerways…
040302
Ifthethoughtoflookinguptipstospiceup
yourbedroomshenanigansistoomind-
bogglingandaskingforhelpwouldturnyour
earsred,bookyourselfandyourpartner
intotheHiltonMelbourneAirport.You’llbe
guaranteedadelectablestaywithroom
servicethatservesmorethanjustbreakfast
steaksinthemorning.
TheregionallaunchoftheHilton’sProvocateur
Package(www.hilton.com/seduction)will
takecouplesonaromanticrendezvousthe
likesofwhichtheymayhaveforgotten.Stuck
inthefreneticpaceoftoday’sworld,most
coupleseventuallyendupinarelationshiprut.
Routineandfamiliarityarekickedsquarelyin
thederrierewhenyousignupfortheHilton
Provocateur!
WithseductivetipsfromSydney’sinfamous
MadameLash,thatlarger-than-lifeburlesque
artistewhofascinatedtheAustralian
imaginationinthe’70sand‘80s,toinspire
bedroompassionandChefMarkBowering’s
aphrodisiacplatter,couplescanlookforward
toascintillatingnightoflove,romanceand
more.WithHilton’sProvocateurPackage,
youcanbetthatswinging‘DoNotDisturb’
signoutsidethedoorwillmeanmorethanjust
settlinginwithCNNforthenight.
01 Fancyaromanticheartofrosepetalsonyourbed?
02 Itsallaboutromanceandrelationships03 Theperfectpreludetoapromising
romanticevening04 Life’slittleindulgencescomealive
05 06
07
Yourromanticrendezvousisn’tleftjust
forthemastersoftouchandtasteto
orchestrate;guestsgettosetthestagefor
theirpleasurablenightoflovetoo.TheHilton
Provocateur’sbookingsurveyensuresthat
guestspersonalisetheirintimatestaytotheir
liking.Couplespickthearomatherapyscent
thatismostromantictothemandchoosetheir
favouritesexytunesthatgetthemgroovingto
themoodforlove,whetheritbeBarryWhite,
JohnMayerorMariahCarey.
Assoonasyouwalkintoyourroom,you
stepintoanewthresholdofromance.You
areenvelopedinyourownprivateworldwith
scoresofflickeringcandleslightingyourway
amongtheseaofscatteredrosepetalson
thebedroomfloor.Aromatherapyoilsinfuse
theroomtosetthestageforanevening
performancethatonlyyoucanscript.
Arousingthesenseoftasteisalusciouspalate
offigtarts,oystersandoceantroutcaviar
beforeBowering’saphrodisiacmenuwrapsup
withchocolatetruffles,crabandbasiltartlets,
andvanillabrulee.Afterall,food,loveand
intimacyhavebeenlinkedtogethersincetime
immemorial.Oystershavebeenthesacred
foodoflovesincethetimeofAphroditewhile
figshavelongbeenassociatedwithlove
andfertility.
Thesucculentmenusetsthescenefora
sexyeveningofpleasurewithMadameLash’s
seductivebedroomtips.Afeatherticklersits
inthemiddleofarose-petalheartonthe
bedthatcouldeithertickleyourfancyorget
youintoaflirtatiousfrolic.There’salsoasexy
treasurehuntthrownin,asMadameLash
ingeniouslyhideslittlepinkenvelopesaround
theroom,filledwithseductivetips.What’s
insidewillnodoubtberewardingforboth
partners.Saucyastheymaysound,thewhole
experiencewillprovetobefunwithnothing
uncomfortable.
05 Behindcloseddoors,excitementawaits
06 Atoasttopassionandromance07 Asumptuousplatter08 Allthetrappingstoputyouinthe
moodforlove
1110 11
sojournhiltonmelbourneairport
“HiltonProvocateurisamazinglyseductive.MyhusbandandIhadoneofthemostromanticnightsofourentiremarriage,”commentedbest-sellingauthorandAustralianrelationshipexpert,BessieBardot,whorecentlyexperiencedthepackage.Soseductiveandromanticinfact,thattheauthorproposedtoherhusband,GeoffBarker,towhomshe’sbeenmarriedfor10years,tocheck-inforasecondtime.
“Thispackagecreatestheperfectrelationshipgetaway:anincrediblyromanticnightinwithalittletreasurehunt.Andtheprize?Rememberingwhatyoulovedaboutyourpartnerinthefirstplace.”
–BessieBardotbest-sellingauthorandAustralianrelationshipexpert
08
life
styl
e SPACHAKRAHAYMAN
natural wonderBeen working hard? Perhaps the best way to reward yourself is by giving your body, mind and soul a luxurious spa treat.
Withyourpackedscheduleandconstant
demands,whetherit’sworkorpersonal,your
bodycoulddowithafewhoursofpampering
togiveitcomfort.Don’tthinkyoucanafford
the60minutesorsotorewardyourbodywith
muchdeservedrest?Here’ssomethingto
ponderon–themoretiredandwoundupyou
are,thelessproductiveyouwillbe.Leaveitbe
andbeforelong,you’llregretnottakingthat
timeofftogiveyourbodyabreakwhenyou’re
allachesandpains.
Manyhotelsaroundtheworldnowadayscome
completewithmagnificentspaofferings,giving
youthegiftofpamperingthenexttimeyou’re
onabreak.Afterall,whenbettertoindulge
thanwhenyou’reonaholiday?
Thewordspaisthoughttobeanacronymfor
theLatinphrase,“salusperaquae,”or“health
throughwater.”Othersbelievetheoriginofthe
word“spa”comesfromtheBelgiantownof
01
Spa,intheLiegedistrict,whichhousesseveral
hotspringsandwasknownsinceRoman
timesforitsbaths.Whichevertheorigin,the
wordspahasbecamesynonymousinthe
Englishlanguagewithaplacetoberestored
andpampered.
InMediaevaltimes,basicherbmedicinesare
oftenusedtocuremanyillsandailments,but
whenallelsefailed,goodhealthwasentrusted
tothemagicalhealingpowerofthespa.This
oftenmeantbathinginthemagicalhotwaters
longknownforitstherapeuticproperties.
Moderndayspashavetheirrootsinancient
townsfamedforthehealingpowersoftheir
mineralwatersandhotsprings.Still,spasof
todayhaveconsolidatednotjustthehealing
powersofwatertorestorebalanceandhealth,
butalsoincludedgenerations-oldpracticesto
helpthebodyeaseitswaybacktoprime.This
includesmassageswithtechniquesthathave
beenpasseddownfromonegenerationto
another,useofoilsconcoctedfromtried-and-
testedrecipes,andhealingtreatmentsthat
embracelocaltraditionsandculture.
Takingapageoutofluxuriousspaofferings
isSpaChakraHayman.NestledinAustralia’s
premierprivateislanddestination,Haymanin
theGreatBarrierReef,it’stheperfectsetting
forthehealthandspaexperience.SpaChakra
HaymanispartoftheGuerlain-SpaChakra
Alliance,aluxuryspanetworkcreatedbySpa
ChakraIncandGuerlainParis.Here,guests
cantreatthemselvestoanexclusiveselection
ofbespokebeautyandwellbeingprogrammes
designedtorestorewellnessandbalance.
01 ThemagicalcharmsofHayman
02 Ah...whatsheerbliss!
13
sojournspachakrahayman
12 13
02
thepoweroftouchSpasprovideaplethoraofmassagetreatmentsashealingmethodsfor
thetiredsoul.Adeeptissuemassagebringsyoutoastateofrelaxation
usinglong,kneadingstrokesandtherightpressuretoeasetired
muscles.Shiatsuisanage-oldAsianmethodusedbytheJapaneseas
atried-and-testedtherapytohealthebodyviaimportantpulsepoints.
Ayurverda,anancienthealingtraditionwhichmeans‘scienceoflife’
fromIndia,isbasedonessentialoilsandherbalremediestogivelifelong
insightintomaintainingabalancedhealth.ThepopularThaimassage
increasesthebody’senergyflowandflexibilitywithitsyoga-inspired
techniques.
Whenitcomestothepoweroftouch,thefatherofmedicinehimself,
Hippocrates,recommendedadailymassagewithessentialoilasthe
pathtogoodhealth.Why,evenbabieswhoaregivenmassagesaremore
activeandresponsive.AtSpaChakraHayman,notonlycanguestsfind
someofthemorepopularmassagetreatments,butalsotheGuerlain
Methode,apatentedfacialandbodymassagetechniqueperformedin
theChampsElyseesGuerlainInstitutsince1938.
water,water,everywhereWaterhasbeentheessentialsourceoflifeinmanycivilisations.Itisthe
mostimportantaspectofwellbeingaswatermakesupabouttwo-thirds
ofourbody.Waterisalsovitalforinternalcleansingviadetoxificationand
externalcleansing.
Forcenturies,waterhasbeenthemediumofchoicetohelpwithvarious
bodyailmentsandmaladiesaswellasrelieffrompainanddiseases.
Infact,waterhasbeenusedinmanyhealingritesthroughoutvarious
ancientcivilisations,includingMesopotamia,Egypt,Rome,Minoaand
Greece.
TheRomansusednaturalhotspringsandthermalbathsasameans
ofhealthandwellness,initiallyforthebenefitofwoundedsoldiersand
battle-wearylegionnaireswhowereunderstandablymorestressedout
thantheirfemalecounterparts.Theysoughttoimmerseinhotwells
andbathstohealtheirachingbodiesandrestoretheirhealth,andthis
primevalneedforwaterimmersionforwell-beingeventuallyevolvedinto
acultureofsocialbathing.
03
sojournspachakrahayman
03 Beonewithnature04 Afootbathwithitstherapeutic
waterelements05 Anenvironmentthatsoothesthesoul06 Thehealingpoweroftouch
04
05
06
TheChineseusedtobatheinflowerwater,believedtoridthemofevil
spirits.TheEnglishhadtheirbaths,takenfromtheRomanpracticeof
immersingthemselvesinnaturalspringwaterthatprovidedmanyhealth
benefits.EventheJapanesecreatedtheirownpastimewiththeironsen
andsento–notsomuchastocleanthemselves,rather,asanexcuse
togetoutofthehouse,catchupongossipandenjoythewarmwater’s
therapeuticproperties.
Waterindeedhasplayeditspartinhistoryastheoneelementthatcan
trulycurethebodyofailments.Notonlythat,it’sthebestsourceoftotal
wellbeingandrelaxation.Rememberthelasttimeyoucamebackhome
exhausted–howdidyoufeelafteraquickinvigoratingshower?
WatertreatmentsinSpaChakraHaymanencapsulatealltheseelements,
whetherinitsHydrotherapytreatmentthatcombinesstate-of-the-art
equipmenttotheOceanMassageinthemiddleofHayman’sbeautiful
tropicalwaters,theresultispurebliss.
ofhandsandfeetWhatmakesadayatthespasowonderfularetheextrabitsof
pamperingyou’reboundtoexperience.Spatreatmentmenusarevaried
buthaveonethingincommon–theycoverpamperingfromheadtotoe.
Takethefeet,forexample.AncientEgyptianspractisedkissingthe
footasashowofgallantrywhileLeonardodaVincidescribedthemas
masterpiecesofengineeringandworksofart.Whenitcomestoyour
wellbeing,reflexologistsbelieveit’stheoneplacethatbestreflectsyour
generalhealth.Butdespitethis,it’sstillthemostneglectedpartofour
body.Mostspas,includingSpaChakraHayman,dedicatetreatments
specificallyforthefoot–footreflexologies,indulgentfootrubsand
massages.Evenifyou’renotonetoseektreatmentforyourfoot,a
beautifuldayatthespagenerallybeginswithagentlefootmassageto
getyoursoulreadyforyourfollowingtreatments.
Handtreatments,oncepopularinChinaespeciallyamongtheQing
royaltyofimperialtimes,areanorminspasrangingfromparaffin
treatmentstopurifyingmineral‘facials’followedbygentleexfoliation,
cuticlerepair,hydratinghandorfootmassageandofcourse,the
quintessentialmanicure.
Sowhetherit’sneedingafacial,bodytreatment,handandfoottherapies,
hairservicesandmassages,enjoythesepreciousmomentsasyoutake
thetimetogatheryourselfandgiveyourbodyatreatatyourfavourite
spa.Goahead.Takethatmuchneededbreak.Letyourselfenjoy
tranquillityunlikeanyotherfortheperfectharmonybetweenbody,
mindandsoul.
17
life
styl
e LE ISUREFARMBRIDGE&COURTHOMES
a play of lines, glass and columnsImmerse yourself in the tranquillity and elegance of tropical living, albeit with a new twist.
sojournleisurefarmbridge&courthomes
16 17
Homeswithsouls.Thisisthestorythatunfoldsbeforeyouat
LeisureFarm,GelangPatah.
Inaworldthatseemstofavourmanovernature,arevolutionaryidea
tookformforhomesthatwould‘speak’toitsinhabitants,rather
thanjustastoicblockofbrickandconcrete.Atimelesssanctuary
designedtoconformtoeverydayusage,combiningboththe
languageoflooksandlivability.
ThenewCourtandBridgeHomesofLeisureFarmpromisetomake
livingsophisticatedagaininitssimplicityofideas.Itsarchitectural
visioninthetropicaloasisofLeisureFarmissustainability,putting
structuresadaptabletothearea’snaturalmakeupandclimate.
Formandfunctionco-existwithoutsacrificingtheessenceofliving,
exploringpeople-friendlyandecologically-sounddesignalternatives
thatwillmakeeachunittimeless.
Thesearehomesthatwilldraweventhemosthardenedurbanite
inside,withinteriorsthatcreateharmonyandbalance,andan
ambiencethatofferstranquillityandmore.
TheCourtHousetakestropicalarchitecturetoanewlevel.Attheheart
ofitsexistenceisacentralanddistinctivecourtyardthatbecomesboth
thefocalpointanditsanchor.Thisbecomesthetopicofconversation,
givingshapeanddefinitiontothehomeandcreatingavisualbridge
betweenindividualsectionsofthehouse.
Envelopingthisinternalcreationofcalmnessisthehome’scosyquarters
forsleepandplay.Yet,whiletheyseparateinfunction,theyuniteinform
throughanopenarchitectureofslidingpanelsoftimberandglassthat
letsthecourtyard’saestheticsin.Intherooms,detailstocreatehomes
withdistinctionhavebeencarefullythoughtout.Designedtosuitthehot
andhumidclimate,thelayoutallowsformaximumventilationandnatural
lighting,withcleveruseofoverhangingroofsthatcastdeepshadeand
breezewallsfornaturalventilation.Thenaturalelementsareorchestrated
throughsuchmoderndesignelementsthatcreatefascinatinglinks
betweenmaterialsandblueprints,creatingafluidplayofprivateand
publicspaces.
TheCourtHouse’sinfinitesenseofspaceblendedwithanartistic
perspectiveistropicallivingatitsmostexquisite.
TheCourtHouse
01 Intimatespacesyoucanescapeto02 Thebreezewallsprovidenatural
ventilation03 Acourtyardthatbecomesboththe
focalpointanditsanchor04 Abathroomenjoyingnaturallight05 Organisedspaceforenhancedliving
01
sojournleisurefarmbridge&courthomes
18 19
02
03
04
05
Pushingtheenvelopefurtherinlayoutand
flexibilitythroughdesignistheBridgeHouse.
BuiltalongtheCanalParkBayou,these
arehomeswherechicsimplicitymeetsthe
needsoftomorrow.SurroundedbyLeisure
Farm’smaturelandscapeandpicturesque
surroundings,theBridgeHouseisluxeliving
redefined.
Thissingle-storeybungalowsmartensupto
today’smodernaestheticsbyprovidingtwo
separatebuildingsthatconvergeasone.Yet
thelinesthatseparatethetwoareblurred
throughthecreationofacleverlinkthatoffers
aseamlessflowofspaceandinvitesother
elementsin.Aglassenclosurebridgeseals
theunionofthetwo,actingasentrancewhile
addingspatialdesigntothemakeup.
Outside,acalmingreflectionpoolleadstothe
bridge,whichupononeenteringthehouse,
transformsintoaninfinityofbluethatseems
tokissthehorizonandopensuptothesky.
Atnight,thewatersglisteninthemoonlight
creatinganinterestingvisualrepertoirewhile
duringtheday,itssun-kissedwaterscreate
playfulpatternsdancingacrossalltherooms.
Inside,openlivinganddiningroomsinvite
youtopartakeinitswonderfulplayofspace
andzones.Unlikethesegregatedconceptsof
yore,thesespacesreflectthenewdynamics
ofdomesticliving,openingontoapooland
deckframedbyagardenwithastunning
backdropofthesurroundinglandscape.
Agalleryrunningparalleltothereflection
pondbringsyoutothequietsanctumofthe
sleepingquarters.Ashomesarenolongerjust
aseriesofenclosedrooms,thebedroomsare
dressedwithslidingpanelsoftimberandglass
thatopentotheoutdoors,invitingnaturein.
BoththeCourtHouseandBridgeHouse
featureseamlesstransitionfromoneliving
spacetothenext,optimisingonabundance
playofopenspaceandlight.Embracingnew
thoughtsandideasoftheAsianhome,the
housesreflecttheever-changingneedsof
today’shomemaker,epitomisingtropicalliving
atitsbest.
06 Asurrealyetbreathtakinglandscape07 Chicsimplicitymeetsflexibilityanddesign08 Alifestylekitchenwithaviewoftheoutdoors09 Sun-kissedwaterscreateplayfulpatternson
thewall
TheBridgeHouse
06
21
sojournleisurefarmbridge&courthomes
20 21
isalsonestledahealthfarmvillage,leisure
square,commercialandamusementcentre,
retailshopsandinternationalschoolthatare
alldesignedtocreateandpromoteacarefree
livingandworkingatmosphere.
Coveringoverfiveprecinctsarevillaswithover
11differentarchitecturalandinteriordesign
themes,builtonbungalowlotsmeasuring
from3,000sqftupto18,000sqft.
Butamiditsresort-styleandlaidbackair
ofliving,LeisureFarmoffersdouble-gated
securitywith24-hourpatrollingandasingle
pointentryforbettermonitoring.Streetsare
designedtoreducetrafficflowandtoenhance
thecountry-likefeeling.
LeisureFarmisanexclusiveresidentialand
gatedresortdevelopmentspreadoveratotal
of1,765acresfreeholdlandinGelangPatah,
Johor.Exudinganabundanceofcountryside
charmwiththeAward-WinningMaster
PlanningConceptofMIND,BODY&SOULin
2005,LeisureFarmResortiscradledwithin
thegrowthareaofIskandarMalaysia,which
isveryaccessibletometropolitanSingapore,
JohorBahruCityandtheSultanIsmail
InternationalAirportviathe2ndLinkHighway,
JBParkwayandtheNorth-SouthExpressway.
Thedevelopmentincludesa36-holegolf
course,clubhouseandequestrianfacilitiesand
offersanescapetoresort-styledresidential
living.LeisureFarmResort,oneofMalaysia’s
mostprestigiousgatedresortdevelopments,
alsobringsafreshnewapproachtoworld
conceptliving.Amongtheopulentlandscape
LeisureFarm
Resort
07
08
09
Thehotel’sProvocateurPackagewillmakea
romanticoutofyourmanyetwhileyougettotap
onyourcoquettishside.
23
high lifehiltonmelbourneairport
22
life
styl
e H ILTONMELBOURNEAIRPORT
mission: provocateurArouse your senses with an alluring night at Hilton.
23
Needaquickgetawaytorekindlethatflameofpassion?Consideranight(ortwo)at
HiltonMelbourneAirport.Thehotel’sProvacateurPackagewillmakearomanticoutof
yourmanyetwhileyougettotaponyourcoquettishside.It’sallinthenameoffunand
thebestpartis–youcanflyin,getcocoonedintheroom,andflyoutbeforeanyone
noticesyou’remissing.
TheHiltonProvocateurguestpackageispricedatAUD$435(includingGST)
andincludes:
• AccommodationinaHiltonDeluxeKingRoom
• Aguestsurveyuponbooking
• ‘SeductionTips’
• Anaphrodisiactastingplatter,designedbyChefMarkBowering
• Afeathertickler
• Guests’choiceofcandlesandaromaticessences
• Rosepetalsscatteredthroughouttheroom
• Aselectionoftheguest’sfavouritemusictracks
• BuffetBreakfastfor2thefollowingmorning
• ValetParking
Tobookyournightofpassion,logontowww.hilton.com/seduction
HiltonMelbourneAirport
ArrivalDrive
MelbourneAirportVic.3045
Tel :+6 3 8336 2000
Fax:+6 3 8336 2001
life
styl
e HYATTREGENCYSANCTUARYCOVE
tailored to youYou’ll have everything you need, everything you want, and everything you’re looking for – delivered with the Hyatt Touch.
Holidaysareatimetoreconnect:withyourpartner,yourfamily,orevenyourinnerself.That’swhy
atHyattRegencySanctuaryCove,we’vedesignedfourindividualholidayprogrammestocaterto
youreverydesire.OurfourHyattRetreatpackagesareasindividualasyou.Whetheryouwanttobe
rejuvenatedoryoujustwanttofeellikeyou’veexperiencedcompleteescapismfromthehustleand
bustleofeveryday,youcanescapeandenjoythebeautythatisSanctuaryCoveandthehospitality
thatisunmistakablyHyatt.
AMOURROMANCE
Takethetimetoreconnect.Enjoytimeforjustthetwoofyouduringyour
stayatHyattRegencySanctuaryCove.Youonlyneedeachother–thehotel
willprovideanunforgettablesettingandalltheromantictouches.
WiththeAmourPackage,guestsenjoy:
•Fullbreakfast•Welcomegift
•12noonguaranteedlatecheckout
BalanceRELAXATION
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WiththeBalancePackage,guestsenjoy:
•Fullbreakfast•AUD$100ChampionsSpacredit
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AwakenBED&
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•Breakfastfortwo•Taxincluded
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ExploreLOCAL
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Theworldiswaitingforyou.Experiencelocallifeandallofitsingredients
duringyourstayatHyattRegencySanctuaryCove.
WiththeExplorePackage,guestsenjoy:
• DailybreakfastinTheCoveCafe
• Half-daytallshiptourincludinglunchandtransfers
• 12noonguaranteedlatecheckout
25
high lifehyattregencysanctuarycove
PackagesfromAUD$285.00.
Forreservations,logonto
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ManorCircleSanctuaryCoveResort,
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Tel :+61 7 5530 1234
Fax:+61 7 5577 8234
24 25
life
styl
e HAYMANGREATBARRIERREEF
some kind of blissEnchantingHaymaninvitesyoutoexperiencealltheromance,tranquillityandadventureofanaward-winningtropicalparadise.
27
high lifehaymangreatbarrierreef
26
HowdoIlovethee?Well,ifit’sreallytruelove,there’sonlyonewaytomeasureit;andthat’sat
Hayman.Thisidyllicisleisthere-definitionofparadise:brightblueskies,crystalclearwatersand
endlessmilesofgorgeousvista.It’stheperfectbackdropfortheperfecthoneymoon.AndHayman
makesiteveneasiertoplantheultimategetaway.
YourromanticHaymanescapebeginsassoonasyoutouchdownatGreatBarrierReefAirport,
whereyou’llbetransportedtoyourownprivateIdahoviaarelaxingcruiseorhelicopterorseaplane
flight.Thenescapeintoalltheromance,tranquillityandadventureofanaward-winningtropical
paradiseandoneoftheworld’smostdesirableislanddestinations,onyourhoneymoon.Foran
additionalAUD$750yourRomanticModuleincludes:
• AchilledbottleofFrenchchampagneanddelectablechocolateplate
placedinyourroomonarrival
• Asuperbthree-coursedinnerfortwo,includingabottleofselectedwine,
servedintheintimacyofyourprivatebalcony
• Arelaxing45-minutebodymassagefortwoatSpaChakraHayman
ThepackageissubjecttoavailabilityandexcludesNewYear’sEve.Priceisinclusiveofa10%GoodsandServicesTax.
27
ContactHaymanReservationson
Tel:+61 2 82727000
Fax:+61 2 82727099
E-mail:[email protected]
www.hayman.com.au
Beautyproductscomeandgo.Thentherearethosethataresoexceptional,they
becomealmostlegendary.Fansinvestinthemreligiously;diehardsdon’tdareleave
homewithoutit.Longaftertheraveshavediedonthatnewmiraclecream,these
cultbeautyclassicscontinuetoshowerinmassadulation.
Whatmakestheseproductsenjoylongstayingpower?Beautypunditstheoriseit’s
duetotheirperformance.Marketinghype,theysay,cancertainlyexciteandlurethe
beautyaddictstobuytheitem;butifitfallsshortoftheirexpectations,it’sstraightto
thebinandaswappingofbrands.Plus,cultclassicsspreadbywordofmouth.So
peelyourearstogetthelowdownonthesecovetedcosmetics,orsamplethebest
tenwehavediscovered.
life
styl
e BEAUTYPRODUCTS
Cult Beauty ClassicsIn the fickle business that is beauty, you know the product’s good when they have long staying power.
29
after hoursbeautyproducts
28 29
T LeClerc Powder
WonderhowHollywoodA-listersoftenlookallfreshandoh,soglowy?That’sbecause
fromMadgetoJLo,theykeepthepowderhandy.Createdin1881andnowavailablein
22shades,thericestarchformulationabsorbsintotheskinforalong-lastinglookthat’s
natural,neverchalky,andespeciallyhelpfulincombatingoilyT-zones.Amongthebestsellers
–Banane,ayellowilluminatorthatinstantlygivesskinavisiblysmoothfinish.
Creed FragranceTheHouseofCreedhavebeensellingtheiruniquecollectionofscentssince1760and
remaintheindustry’sbestkeptsecret.Amongthosethathavebecometheirfollowers
includeroyaltiesandheadsofstate.PrinceRainierofMonacowassuchanadmirerthat
hecommissionedanexclusiveperfume,Fleurissimo,forGraceKellyonherweddingday.
Creedmaintainsthetraditionofoldfragrancehouses:essencesareinfusedaccordingto
time-honouredmethodsandfragrancesarestillmadebyhand,fromweighingrightdown
tomixingtheingredients.Inanindustryofmasssyntheticssmells,Creed’soriginalityislike
abreathoffreshair.
Creme de La MerThecream’sstatusasacultproductissecondonlytotheamazingstoryof
howtheconcoctioncametobe.Aburnt-victimphysicistwasexperimenting
foramiraclecure.Hefounditinthiscocktailofseakelp,wheatgermand
essentialvitaminsthatisnowtrademarkedasamiraclebroth.LaMerdevotees
swearbyitsrichandfinelines-smoothingcream.Provingtocriticsthatit’snot
aone-productwonder,LaMertodayalsoincludesaneyecreamandaserum.
Aesop Primrose Cleansing MasqueThisquick-dryingbeautymaskislovedbothforitsbeautifulscentandthefastwayit
restrictsbreakouts,blemishesandcoldsores.Aesop’sall-natural,mostlybotanical,
high-qualityskincareincludessteam-distilledessentialoils,cold-pressedwholeoils,
freeze-driedpowderedextractsandliquidextractions.Themaskitselfisawonderful
blendofprimroseseedoil,rosegeraniumandsageleafandworksonallskintypes.
MAC Spice LiplinerThereasonit’saperennialfavouriteamongbeautyjunkiesisbecauseitsimplylooksgreaton
everyone!Theneutralshadeblendswellwithvirtuallyanycolouroflipstickorgloss.Itsnude
colouralsomeansitcanbeusedonitsownforanall-naturallook.LindaEvangelista,apparently,
doesn’tleavehomewithoutit!
Cetaphil Gentle CleanserBeautymagazineseverywherevouchtoitsgentlenessanddermatologistsswearbyit.
Itisoneofthebestcleansersoutthere,andthebestthingis,itwon’tevenbreakyour
purse.Thecleansercleanswithoutleavingskindryanditevenworksonsensitiveskin.
Italsodoesagoodjobatremovingmake-up.Don’tlettheno-scent,no-fussformula
under-whelmyou;thissoap-freecleanseristhecornerstoneforgreatskinthatlasts
decades,thankstoitsmoisturisingproperties.
Kiehl’s Lip BalmThebalmbuiltitsmust-havereputationonitsaddictivelysmoothtexture,not-
over-the-topshine,andmoisturisingabilities.Everyonefromsupermodelsto
meremortalsswearbyitslong-lastingshine.Packedwithapotentmixofsweet
almondoil,vitaminE,aloevera,wheatgermoilandvitaminA,thebalmalso
soothes,softensandrelievesdry,crackedlips.Greattowearonitsownorslick
overyourlipstickforaddedshineandmoisture.
31
after hoursbeautyproducts
30 31
Aveda Shampure ShampooThere’ssomethingtrulyorganicaboutcosmeticsthataremadeusingnatural
ingredients.AvedahasamassedlegionsoffollowerswithitsShampure
Shampooinfusedwithacalmingmixof25pureflowerandplantessences.
It’sgreatforallhairtypeswithagentlecleansingeffectandthearomatic
oilsthatcalmsthesensesisabigbonusinthebathroom!Plus,it’safirm
favouritewithhairstylists.
Shu Uemura Cleansing OilJapaneseguruShuUemurafirstcreatedthisin1960afterseeingHollywoodcelebscleantheir
stagemake-upwithanoil-basedconcoction.Themainingredientinthiscleanserismineraloil,
awonderliquidthathashealingandsoothingproperties.Theoilcleanseremulsifiesintowater
andcleanseventhemoststubbornandwaterproofmake-up.Therearenowfiveversionsofthe
oil,includingoneforsensitiveskin.Apparently,onebottleofShuUemuraoilcleanserfliesoffthe
shelfevery30secondssomewhereintheworld!
Benefit BenetintBenetintwasoriginallyconceivedin1977forusebyan
exoticdancertoenhanceoneofhermoreprizedassets.
Thesedays,itscombinationofcarminecrushedrosesmakes
thislong-wearingproductlastandlast.Thisrosetintedliquid
givesawaterproof,kiss-proofstainandistheultimateall-
naturalbeautyboost.
Campingisoneofthoseawkwardfamily
traditionsthateverychildgoesthrough.A
goodexperienceundeniablymakesinteresting
anecdotestobetoldatfamilygatheringsmany
yearsfromnow.Abadouting,well,let’sjust
sayit’sgreatifthechildcomesoutunscathed
fromtheexperience.
Butimaginethevirtuesofthegreatoutdoors.
Thesmelloffresh,virginforestair;nature
soundsallaround,asuppressedyawnasyou
luxuriouslyrolloutofyourfour-posterbedfrom
beneathyourdoubledownfeatherduvet.Err,
hangon.Didsomeonesay‘fourposterbed’?
Well,intheageofallthingssupersized,
upgradedandenhanced,itwasonlyamatter
oftimebeforetheoldcampingtradition
getsitsownmakeover.Nomoresodden
sleepingbagnightmaresorhalf-cookedeggs
life
styl
e GLAMPING
the better twinWhat happens when camping goes luxe? You get glamping, the glamorous version to the outdoors.
GL
AM
PIN
G
0201
forbreakfast.Blameitonjadedjet-setters
orthemoneyedcelebritycircle–eachof
whomhastrulyuppedtheanteonmodern-
daycamping;fromtakingsafaristhatoffer
butlers-in-residencetooutdooradventure
campswiththeirin-houseMichelinchefs.
ThinkKateMoss’campingescapade
reportedinTheSunas“muddybrillianttime
atGlastonbury”hadhertrudgingthrough
mudwithoutallthefrills?Thinkagain.
Twenty-firstcenturystylecamping,made
glamorousbytheworld’scelebs,haspitched
tentscompletewithplushduvetsandleather
chairs,tonameafewluxuries.Youcaneven
choosetohaveamani/pediandaJacuzzi
righttherewiththesquirrelsandchipmunks
peepingin.
‘Glamping’isthenewcatchphrasefor
vacationinginthewild;andithaschangedthe
waywecampaltogether.Whateveryoumake
ofit,glampingisthenewtakeonoutdoors.
Andthehardestchoicetomakethesedays
isnotwhichbackpacktobring,butwhich
glampinggroundtobestluxuriatein.
01 Yourownfireplace,inadditiontoelectricity!02 Theelegantalternative–luxury
mountainhomes03 Rusticluxuryinatent
33
after hoursglamping
32 33GL
AM
PIN
G 03
Poshtentsmeannothingifyouhavetosleepwhileyour
hair’sstilldamp.AtTentCityatPawsUp,Montana,
USA,notonlydoguestsgetahairdryerbuttentsalso
haveelectricitytopowerthisandeverythingelseyou
desire.Bathroomsareposh,tosaytheleast,where
ahottuboffersgueststhechancetorelaxinawarm,
luxurioussoak.Youdon’thavetoworryaboutchills
sincethereverse-cycleair-conditionletsyouadjustthe
temperaturetothewilderness’weather.Asevening
approaches,youcaneithersitbythefireyourbutler
built(seriously)orsinkyourtoesintotheplushPersian
rugsthatcoverthefloor.
LEAVE THEHAIRDRYER HOME
04
05 06
Theposhlifestyledoesn’tjustendwith
amenities.Someglampinggroundsoffer
typicalfive-starhotelservicesthatinclude
movierooms,alibrary,babysittingservices
andwirelessinternet.AtBedwellRiver
OutpostinCanada,theselittleluxuriesare
consideredstandard,butifguestsstillneed
tobepampered,there’sthebeautyparlour
withahostoftreatmentsincludingpedicure,
manicureandahotstonemassage. Abodesreminiscentofaroom 04 Feelrightathome 05 Themesmerisingloungearea 06
after hoursglamping
MEDIUM, NOT
RARE
34 35
Matchingthesehigh-endcampsitesisthehaute
cuisine.Atsomeplaces,guestsdineonfinechina
andsilverflatwareundertealightchandeliers.The
kitchen’sgourmetchefswhipupgloriousgastro
inventions,fromfilletmignontobakedapplesand
flambébananas,solongasyou’rewillingtopay.
ForguestsatKamuLodgeinLaos,theygetto
indulgeinexoticlocalcuisine.Thatincludesbuffalo
meatcookedLaosstyleorfishjustfreshlycaught
fromtheriverrunningnextdoor.WhileKamuisnot
allhigh-classcamping,therainforestretreatisstill
comfortable,furnishedinbamboofurniturewith
doublebeds,solar-heated(andprivate)showersand
toilets,includingelectricityandawell-stockedbar.
Still,ifcookingbybonfireremainsyourcupoftea,
SekepingSerendahinSelangor,Malaysialetsguests
dojustthat.Itsglass-andsteel‘huts’issetinafive-
acreplotofrainforestwithabackyardthatholdsa
barbequepit,aninfinitypoolandloungesettee.The
hammocksintheroomsaddanicerustictouchand
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
07 Amagnificentviewfromthetop08 Amenitieswithyoursolitudeinmind09 Teabythelake,anyone?10 Thecosyandinvitingbedroom11 Amomentofrepose12 Furnitureinspiredbynature13 Reconnectwithnature
withitsfloor-to-ceilingwindows,youcanenjoythe
outdoorsfromthesafehavensofyour‘tents’.Sure
beatsgettingdirty,muddyandsweaty.Intheworld
ofglamping,itseems,anythingispossible.
Thehospitalityindustryaside,glampinghasalso
becomethenewbuzzwordamongfashionretailers.
InMarchthisyear,MarksandSpencerlaunchedits
Glampingcollection,asthe“ultimatewaytoenjoy
thegreatoutdoors”.Amongthekitschyitemsonsale
includearetro-printpop-uptentandacool,fold-up
chair.TedBaker,theUKclothingretailcompany
knownforapplyingtwiststotheirproducts,has
comeupwithitsownlineofblow-upmattresses,
sleepingbagsandtents;completewithcuckooclock
andchesterfieldchair.
Whatdoesallthismean,really,tothenewbreed
ofcampers?Inanutshell,itisluxurycamping
redefined.Itisnolongerathingforthekids,it’sreally
forthebigkids.
37
after hoursthaicookingschool
life
styl
e THAICOOKINGSCHOOL
eat your way to blissWhen in Thailand, the best way to savour the food is by getting your hands dirty – literally.
Thaifoodisinternationallyfamous.Today,onecanfindaThai
restaurantanywhere–fromcosmopolitancitieslikeLondonto
thesmalltownsofMadagascar.Whethertheyaresmall,family-
styleeateriesorlarge,opulentestablishments,Thaicuisinehas
servedupitsglobalgastronomerswithtantalisingdelightssuch
astom yam goong(hotandsourprawnsoup),kaeng khiao wan
nuea(greencurrywithbeef),thot man pla(curriedfishcakes)
andtub tim krob(waterchestnutsincoconutmilk).
ThosefortunateenoughtovisitThailandwillfindthatnotonly
doesthefoodlookgood,buttheytasteevenmoredelicious.
Fromthesimplestreetfarethatservessom tam(papayasalad)
inplasticplatestotheroyalrepastof5-starhotels,Thaifood’s
distinctivecharacterisunmistakable.
WithThaicuisineenjoyingsuchpopularity,astringof
cookingschoolshasmushroomedacrossThailand,
cateringtoenthusiastseagertodiscoverthecuisine’s
secrets.Forvisitorstothekingdom,thisisthebest
opportunitytoenjoytheirfavouritedishesaswellas
learntocookthem.
Classesareofferedatsomeofthebestresortsand
restaurants,teachinggueststhedifferencebetween
galangalandginger,orkaffirandcurryleaves,before
mixingameanmussamancurrypastethatlooksgood
enoughtobebottledandsoldinajar.
Coursescanrangefromone-daytotwoweeks,
givingvisitorsampletimetoincludeaclasswhile
vacationing.Atypicalclasscombinesashortlecture
onThaiingredientswithcookingdemonstrationsand
hands-onexperience.Some,likeBangkok’sfirsthalal
cookingschool,SilomThaiCookingSchool,takes
studentstothelocalmarketsotheyknowfirsthand
howrawingredientslooklikebeforebeingblended,
choppedorpoundedwithamortarandpestle.Then,
instructorKhunNusiteachestheclasstotransform
thesefreshingredientsintohomemadecurrypastes,
Thaistaplesandregionalraritieslikespicymungbean
noodlesalad.
Beforesigningupforaclass,it’sbesttoresearchthe
schoolas‘course’contentcandiffer.Someschools
arestyledlikea‘show-and-tell’lecture:theinstructor
01 MomTri’sBoathouse’sChef,Tummanoon,inaction
02 ‘Students’shoppingforfreshingredients
03 Cooksatwork!
04 ‘Students’samplingtheirowncreationsofsweet,spicy,saltyandsour.
01
“Thaifoodhasmanydifferentingredients,herbsandspicesinonedishbutthetasteisalwayslight.”
39
after hoursthaicookingschool
givesageneraloverviewoftheingredients
beforeproceedingtodisplaythetypical
techniquesofThaicooking.Studentsmay
haveahandatchoppingandslicing,butmay
missoutonthewhole‘cooking’experience.
Thentherearealsoothersthatare
meticulouslyplannedtosuitprofessionals
interestedintheintricaciesoftheartofThai
cuisine,suchasthatattheSamuiInstituteof
ThaiCulinaryArt.Thefirstvocationaltraining
centreapprovedbyCity&Guilds,its12-day
courseexposesgastro-enthusiaststoover
100recipesthatcoverallareasofcuisine,
fromsoupstostir-friesandsteameddishes
todesserts.ThesyllabusatMandarinOriental
DharaDhevi’scookingclassincludestheart
ofThaifruitandvegetablecarvingasidefrom
deliciousnorthernLannadishes.
Typically,Thaifoodischaracterisedbythe
personwhocooksit.Thesamedishcooked
byonepersonmaydifferfromtheotheras
dishesarerefinedtosuitindividualpalates.A
dishisaharmoniousblendofthefourmajor
tastes–sweet,spicy,saltyandsour.Afifth
taste,bitter,joinsthetastecategoryincertain
dishes,yettheyallcometogethertoanalmost
equaldegree.
AproperThaimealshouldconsistofasoup,
acurrydishwithcondiments,adipwith
accompanyingfishandvegetables.Aspiced
saladmayreplacethecurrydish.Thesoup
canalsobespicy,butthecurryshouldbe
replacedbynonspiceditems.Theremust
beaharmonyoftastesandtextureswithin
individualdishesandtheentiremeal.
Thaicuisineisessentiallyamarriageof
centuries-oldEasternandWesterninfluences
harmoniouslycombinedintosomething
uniquelyThai.ThecharacteristicsofThai
fooddependonwhocooksit,forwhomit
iscooked,forwhatoccasion,andwhereit
iscookedtosuitallpalates.Originally,Thai
cookingreflectedthecharacteristicsofa
waterbornelifestyle.Aquaticanimals,plants
andherbsweremajoringredients.Large
chunksofmeatwereeschewed.Subsequent
influencesintroducedtheuseofsizeable
chunkstoThaicooking.
WiththeirBuddhistbackground,Thais
shunnedtheuseoflargeanimalsinbig
chunks.Bigcutsofmeatwereshreddedand
lacedwithherbsandspices.Thaicooking
methodswereoriginallystewing,bakingor
grilling,whichleavesonetowonderhow
today’sThaicuisine,withitsrangeoftextures
andtastes,cametobe.Thaifoodborrowsfrom
manycultures.Chineseinfluencescanbeseen
throughtheintroductionoffrying,stir-fryingand
deep-frying;thePortugueseintroducedchillies
tothefoodduringthelate1600s;whileIndians
lenttheircurriestothefare.
ButtheThaiswereexpertsatadaptingthese
foreigncookingmethodstosuittheirtastes
–coconutoilreplacedghee,spicesweretoned
downsocurriesbecamelighter,whilesoups
wereenhancedwithfreshherbsandturned
divine.AtMomTri’sBoathouseinPhuket,Chef
Tummanoonleadsatwo-dayculinaryworkshop
bythebeachthatunderlinesthisphilosophy.
“Thaifoodhasmanydifferentingredients,
herbsandspicesinonedishbutthetasteis
alwayslight”,hesays.“(Theidea)isnotonlyto
knowhowmuchlimejuiceorsugarisneeded
ineachdish;thegoalshouldbeadeeper
understandingofhowingredientscombineand
createuniquetastes.That’stheessenceofThai
cookingyou’lllearntounderstandandmaster.”
38 39
02 03 04
life
styl
e ARTS&CULTURE
of paintings and storiesZainalAbidinMusa’sartisbestdescribedaspiecesofparticipation.
“Two days in Redang, and still there was no sun. On the third morning, I woke up early, though dreams were calling me back to bed. At the beach, on the dark shores, I waited. As yesterday, all was quiet. Moments later, I smiled – there – a break in the sky. And from a higher heaven somewhere, a million shades of colours were filtering triumphantly through. In another moment, I was bathed in light!”
ThisisthestorybehindZainalAbidinMusa’sseascapeaptlytitled,Waiting for Sunrise
Over Telok Kalong,adreamypieceofsand,seaandskythattooktwodaysofpatient
waitingandtwoweeksoffuriouspaintingtocomplete.Theendresultwasbrushed
inshadesofblues,purplesandpeaches,creatingashimmeringeffectofapeaceful
morning.
ThereisastorybehindeverypaintingthatZainalproduces–storiesthatareasromantic,
intriguingandnostalgicasthelandscapepaintingshelovinglyproduces.Theyarestories
ofhistravelsaroundMalaysia,throughalmost-forgottentowns,alongsecretbeaches,
downthepathlesstravelled,bringinghimclosetonatureandthebeautywithin.And
thesearethestorieshetranslatesintopaintings,hopingtobringtoattentionthe
surroundingbeautyweoftentakeforgranted.
Hispassionfornatureandtheenvironmentrunssodeepthatdespitecurrenttrends
favouringabstract,modernandexperimentalworks,Zainalmaintainspaintingscenesof
thesunrise,sunsetandthesea.Closefriendandartist,TengkuSabriIbrahim,comments
thatZainal“chosetoignorethecontemporaryexcitementofexperimenting,exploring
andworkingwith‘modern’or‘expressive’imagesandapproachesaspractisedby
manyartistsoftoday.Hehungontohisromanticattitudesinreadingandrepresenting
landscapes.”Zainalagrees,saying,“Letotherartistsmaketheirownworksand
statements.Mylandscapepaintingsaresimpletounderstand.ThebeautythatGodhas
createdinthisworldisalreadythere.IamjustconveyinghowIfeeltowardsitandtryto
Theartist,ZainalAbidinMusa.
01
41
after hoursarts&culture
whathecalledaSundaypainter,lookingfor
weekendstopaintbeautifulseascapesalong
theeast-coastshores.Thefrequentpainting
tripsallowedZainaltoassociatehimself
intimatelywithnature–ofhischildhoodrivers,
oftheseashellsandstarfisheslyingonhis
beaches,andofchirpingbirdsamongsthis
bushesandtrees.Heconjuredhischildhood
memoriesintolandscapesherediscovered
duringhistrips.Heabandonedtheadvertising
world,andhappilyrepeatedMonet’sI paint as
a bird sings.”
FromtheseSundayexcursions,Zainal
producedenoughworkstobeshowcasedin
translatetheaestheticsontocanvasinmy
ownwaywithoutforcingmyphilosophiesonto
others.Intheprocess,Iamjustenjoyingthe
pureactofpaintingandgoingbacktothevery
basicsofwhatIlearntaboutart.”Thepiece,
Waiting for Sunrise Over Telok Kalong,isone
ofmanypaintingsofMalaysianlandscapes
andseascapesthattheartistproduceseach
yearsincehisdeparturefromanexhausting
careerasanadvertisingentrepreneur.
AlthoughhehadstudiedfineartatInstitut
TeknologiMARA(ITM),hepursuedacareerin
paintingonlyrecently,after16stressfulyears
intheadvertisingindustry.
Thechange,hesays,beganquitebyaccident.
OnaquietSundaymorning,afterasimple
breakfastofhalfboiledeggs,toastandcoffee,
hebegantoidlysketchthebreakfastscene
beforehim,findingtheeffectquiterelaxing
andtherapeutic.“AlthoughIhadnotbeen
activelypaintingformanyyearsbeforethat,
itcamenaturallyenoughtomewhenIwas
seekingsomeformofbalanceandtranquility
inmylife,”helatersaidofthatlife-changing
moment.Thatbreakfastsceneisnow
immortalisedinapaintingcalledLazy Sunday.
TengkuSabri,whohaswitnessedZainal’s
progressovertheyears,says,“Zainalbecame
hisfirst,self-financedsoloexhibitionin2003.
AptlytitledWeekends,itwasheldattheNew
StraitsTimesbuildinginKualaLumpur.
Zainalsays,“TheWeekendsserieswas
developedduringaparticularlydemanding
andhecticperiodofmylifeatatimewhen
Iwasjugglingabusinessandacareerin
advertising.Theserieswaspartlymypersonal
accountofaperiodinmylifeaswellas,on
alargerscale,aresponsetothestateofthe
modernworld,whichtomehadbecome
toocomplicated,tooenclosedandtoo
egocentric.”
01 WaitingforSunriseoverTelokKalong,147cmx224cm,acrylic,2005
02 LazySunday,38cmx52cm,oiloncanvas,1999.CurrentlyinthecollectionofEn.Mohd.ZainalShaari.
03 ShadowsontheWater,PulauBesar,Mersing,139cmx209cm,acrylic,2007.
02
03
40 41
Boostedbythesuccessofhisfirstsolo
exhibition,ZainalevolvedfromaSundaypainter
toafull-timeartist,whichledhimtotravel
furtheraroundMalaysia,capturingthebeauty
ofMalaysianlandscapesoncanvas.
Zainal’spaintingsareoftenastudyoflightand
thechanginglandscape:thechangingcolours
ofwateratsunrise,thepassageofcloudsas
reflectedonwater,thecoloursthatcongealinto
shadowsonsand,andtheshimmeringwaters
ofthesea.
Hisworksdefythestereotypeoftraditional
landscapepaintings,offeringinsteada
refreshingtakeonthesubjectmatterwith
simplecompositionsprojectinganalmost
‘silent’,meditativeatmosphere.Yet,upon
closerinspectionofanyofZainal’spieces,one
willbeamazedtofindtherichinterminglingof
coloursandstrokescoveringtheentirecanvas.
InfluencedbythemastersofImpressionism
suchasMonet,VanGoghandPissarro,Zainal
createslandscapesthatallowtheaudience
toparticipatein,ratherthanjustviewinghis
works.
Morerecently,Zainalheldhisfirstexhibitionfor
theyearatAllianceFrancaiseinKualaLumpur.
CalledLightsonWater,theexhibitionfeatured
hisworksonMersingandtheislandsoffits
coast.Hispaintingshavebeenshowcasedat
severalgalleries,amongthem,theMalaysian
NationalArtGallery,JiivaFineArtGallery
inJakarta,ArtSeniGalleryinStarhillKuala
Lumpur,ArtAccentGalleryinBangsar,andArt
CaseGalleryinAmpang,aswellasA2Gallery
inPenang.Hisworkscanalsobeviewed
onlineatwww.zainalabidinmusa.blogspot.com.
WaterliliesatJandaBaik, 04 107cmx135cm,oil,2007.
SunsetoverPulauBesar,Mersing, 05 105cmx137cm,acrylic oncanvas,2007.
04
05
life
styl
e F ISHSPA
the doctors are inTherearenewdoctorsintownandtheirremedywillleavethemostrelentlessofskinconditionsadistantmemory.Thegarrarufawillnowtakeyourappointments.
Thedistinguishedgentlemansatdownoppositemeandgingerlyloweredhislegsintothewarmwater.Hespentthenextfiveminutespeeringdowninfascination,thenraisedhisheadandcalledout,“Doyouhaveanyfishoverthere?Itseemsliketheyareallhere!”
42 43
after hoursfishspa
IassuredhimIhadmorethanmyfairshare
andwebothlaughed.Fortherestofourfish
spatherapy,AmarjitSidhuandIformedan
unexpectedacquaintanceshipinanunlikely
setting.ButAlinaWahid,theGeneralManager
ofGarra Rufawasn’ttheleastbitsurprised.
Apparently,socialisingwhilebeingnibbledatis
acommonoccurrence.
“Thepulloffishspashavegonebeyondmere
novelty,relaxationandhealthbenefits,”she
said.“Itnowhasthetrademarkofasocial
environmentemblazonedacrossittoo.People
diptheirlegsin,giggleandcatcheachother’s
eye,andconversationstakeoff.I’veseen
peoplenetworkingandevenholdingbusiness
meetingshere!”
Networkingandtradetalkinaspa?We’ve
certainlycomealongwaysinceprivaterooms,
scentedoilsandchirpingbirds.Butreally,we
shouldhavespottedthisconceptswimming
ourwaylongbeforeitgothere.Fordecades,
peoplehavebeenmakingregularpilgrimages
toTurkey,SyriaandJordantosurrender
theirtiredbodiestothegarra rufafishathot
springssparesorts.Uponreturningtotheir
nativecountries,theyspokeinwonderof,
whattheydubbed,‘DoctorFish’thatdevoured
theirdeadskintorevealhealthy,glowingskin
underneath.Thosewholeftwithseriousskin
01 Thecalmingambienceenticesvisitors
02 Trulyaspaofadifferentkind
03 Thegarra rufafishdoingwhattheydobest
01
02
03
Likemainstreamspas,thefishspasare
alsodesignedasplacesofrepose,fromthe
tranquilatmospheretothequalityoftreatment.
Nodoubtthisspaissteadilyclimbingthe
popularityladder,butithaditsfairshareof
challengeswhenitfirstunveileditself.
Theprimaryquestiononeveryone’slipswas
thatofhygiene.Alinaattestedthatthisis
oneareawherenoeffortisspared.Thespas
treatthewaterwithultravioletsteriliserstokill
bacteriaandpreventtransmissionofinfections,
andthepondsarealsofittedwithaspecially
designedfilteringsystemtocontrolpHlevels,
stabiliseionsandsiftoutlarge,particle-likefish
foodandwaste.Thetanksarecleanedandthe
waterchangeddaily,andifthatisn’tenough,
FishoFishSpaalsogoestheextramilein
offeringaseparatepondforcustomerswith
seriousskinconditions.
“Infectionsareunlikely,yetwetakeour
customers’comfortintoconsideration,”
explainedCherylLim,Fisho’sMarketing
Manager.“Butthespaisforeveryone,andthe
onlypeoplewhoweadviseagainstthetherapy,
arethosewithopenwoundsandfungal
infections.”
Mostspasalsoplaceimportanceontheir
‘employees’comfortlevelsbyrestrictingthe
immersiontolegs,forfearthatcustomers
after hoursfishspa
conditions,likepsoriasisandeczema,returned
withmiraculouslyclearskin.Devoteesofthefish
spaspreadthewordanditwasn’tlongbefore
thegarra rufareachedAsianshores,wherea
newfanbasewaswaitingwithopenarms.
Malaysia,however,isanewfriendtofishspas,
withmostopeningtheirdoorsonlyinthelast
sixmonths.AccordingtoTheSampuotonSpa’s
Director,JoeNg,theyinitiallydidn’tevensee
anopportunityforsuchspastoflourishhere.
ItwasonlyafterstudyingtheJapanesemarket
thattheywereconvinceditwouldcreateahuge
waveinthehealthandbeautyindustry.Once
theconcepttookshapeinKualaLumpur,the
streamofcustomerswasinstantaneousandthe
reaction,nothingshortofenthusiastic.
“IlikeditsomuchthatIamconsideringthefull-
bodyimmersion,”enthusedMelanieStaMaria,
whovisitedKenkoReflexologyandFishSpa.
“Mylegsfeltandlookedbrandnew!”
Thispleasureisechoedbythemen,too.For
RogerTan,aregularatKenko,itistheperfect
alternativetotaggingalongonhisgirlfriend’s
shoppingsprees.Heliterallytooktheplunge
whenhenoticedthenewadditioninthespa,
andimpressedwiththeresults,hebegan
includingitaspartandparcelofhismassage
andreflexologysessions.
won’tbeabletoresistscoopingupthedelicate
fishforacloserlook.Asthereismoreresidue
onhandsthanonfeet,theriskofinfectingthe
fishishigh…andexpensive.
It’sanexpensivebusinesstobein,nodoubt,
butnoneofthefishspaownershavelamented
theirlot.Theirspashaveallowedthemtospan
genderandgeneration,tobringacentury-
oldtraditionstraightintotheheartofmodern
therapy.Andanythingthatdoesthatisdestined
tostayforalong,longtime.
44 45
04
05
06 07
04 Nothingfishyhere!
05 Thecheck-inandwaitingarea
06 Thelittlenibblersatwork
07 Arelaxingmodeofnetworkingwithothers
Curtis Stone, the host of Take Home Chef, talks passionately about the show and his love for food and the surprise at being listed as People magazine’s sexiest man alive.
the chefSpeaks
Have you ever come close to getting thrown out by a jealous
boyfriend or perhaps a husband that didn’t like his privacy
invaded by a camera crew?
Wedid140episodesin18months,soweshotalotofthisshow.Itwas
sosuccessfulinAmericathattheyjustwantedmore,more,more.Soout
ofthe140,I’vebeenkickedoutofthehousetwice.Oncewasbecause
thehusbandhadareallyamazinghouse.HehadPicasso’sonthewall
andexpensivefurnitureandartworkandhewasalittlebitnervousabout
abigcrew,becausewehave18peopleinthecrew.Hewasn’ttoohappy
abouteverybodyinthere.
Theotherhusband,Iguesshewasabitjealous.Hewasalittlebitupset
withhiswifeanddidn’tthinkthatitwasappropriatethatshehadanother
maninthehouse.
47
after hourscurtisstone
What about the women, were there any who perhaps didn’t
recognise you and thought that maybe you were trying to be funny
or whether you were a stalker or things like that?
Whenwefirststartedtheshow,IwasbrandnewtoAmericaandnone
ofmyothershowslikeSurfing the MenuhadeverplayedinAmerica.So
whenIfirstcameover,itwasahardsell.IwasinthegrocerystoreandI
waslike,“No,really,Iamachef.Ipromise,Icancook.Iworkedinnice
restaurants.”Andthenafteralittlewhilepeoplestartedtorecogniseme,
soitwasmucheasier.Butintheearlydays,IfeltlikeIwastryingtosell
ausedcar.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in a shopping cart?
Idon’tknowreally.Ifoundoneladyrecently,shewasbuyingfrozen
pizza.Ilookedintheshoppingcartandshehadsomebeer,likefiveor
sixfrozenpizzas,allofthishorriblepackagedfood.AndIwalkedup
behindherandItappedherontheshoulderandsheturnedaroundand
whenshesawme,sherecognisedmeandshesaid,“Ohno,no,no,”
becausesheknewwhatwasinthecart,anditwasquitefunny.
WewentbackandIactuallytaughtherhowtomakepizzafromscratch.
WewentandgotsomeflourandsomeyeastandItaughtherhowto
makethedoughandwestillhadapizzanightanddranksomebeer,but
atleastitwasgoodpizza.
Are you a harsh critic when somebody else cooks for you?
Youknowwhat,nobodyevercooksforachef.That’stheworstthing
intheworld.Ithinkpeoplegetabitscaredthatwe’regoingtoanalyse
everything.Actually,we’retheeasiestpeopleintheworldtocookfor,
becauseifsomebodyelseiscooking,wethinkit’slovely.It’sverynice,
becauseitissorareforus.IthinkI’mveryeasygoingwhenitcomesto
otherpeoplecooking.
4746
Curtis, you worked in Australia, England and the U.S., which of
these countries have the best food culture in your opinion?
Oh,they’reallsodifferent.IreallyloveAsianfood,andeverytimeIgo
backtoAustralia,itbecomesmoreandmoreAsian.Wehavepeople
fromalloverAsiathatnowliveinAustraliaandalotofthechefsin
AustraliahaveworkedinAsiaorcomefromAsia,sothefoodisreally
light.Theingredientsthatwegetthereaswellarealittlebitmoreinline
withAsia,youknowwithgreatgalangalandgingerandcorianderandall
oftheingredients.SoIsupposethefoodinAustraliaisverylight,alittle
bitliketheAsianfood.Andit’sbecomingabitspicierandIlovespicy
food.
Idon’tmeantonotgiveyouananswer,butIloveallofthemfordifferent
reasons.IloveEngland,becauseithassuchaEuropeaninfluence,andI
reallyenjoyEuropeanfoodaswell.
AndAmerica,Americahasgotaplace.IthoughtI’dhatethefoodwhen
Ifirstcamehere,becauseIthoughtitwasgoingtobejusthamburgers
andFrenchfries,butit’snot.Andalotofitisgoodhamburgersand
Frenchfries,butsomeofitisnotbadaswell.IthinkAmericaisonthe
vergeofabigfoodrevolution.They’regoingtogothroughamassive
changequitesoon.Andit’sexcitingtobeherewhilethey’restartingto
changetheirwaysofeating.
What do you consider a must-have in any dish?
Ohdear,that’sagoodquestion,Iloveallsortsoffoods.Icookalotwithgarlic,
becauseIreallylikegarlic.AndIalsolovespicyfoods,soIcookalotwithchili
pepper.Idon’tthinkthereisanythingthatyouhavetohaveineverydish.Ithink
aslongasit’sgotanicebalanceofflavour,soIthinktheimportantthingsabout
servingagooddish,istheflavouristhere,thetemperatureisright.Soifit’s
meanttobehot,it’sservedhot.Andifit’smeanttobeasalad,thenitprobably
shouldbecold.
AndthenIthinkthetextureisveryimportant.Tomeifyouhavesomething
smooth,thenyoushouldalsohavesomethingcrunchy,soyou’vegotthat
contrastoftexture.Justlikethebalanceofflavour,ifyou’vegotsomethinga
littlebitsweet,thenyoualsoneedsomethingalittlebitsalty.SoIthinkifthere
isanything,textureisveryimportanttome.
We heard that you were one of the sexiest men, alongside Brad Pitt and
George Clooney in People Magazine. So what is your take on that?
WhentheyfirsttoldmeIthought,“God,ifImakethetop50inAmerica,then
Americahasgotproblems.”IcalledmybestfriendandIsaidtohim,“Canyou
believeit?Theyputmeinthislistofsexyguys,”andhesaid“That’sit,I’mgoing
toleavemyjobandmovetoAmerica.Doyouknowthebeautifulwomenthat
you’regoingtomeetnow?”Hegoes,“Iwanttobethereeverystepoftheway.”
I’mAustralianandAustraliansarequiteshyandlaidback,wedon’tgettoo
excitedaboutthatkindofstuff.Butit’snicethatsomebodythinksthat.
When hosting your show, do you always come up with food ideas on the
spot, or do you take some time to think about them?
HowwedoitisIfindthepersonthatI’mgoingtocookwiththatday,andthen
wesortofmeetandIaskthemwhattheylikeandwhattheydon’tlike.And
thenyouneedtostop,weneedtocut,sothatwecanputamicrophoneonthe
personthatwefoundandjustexplaintoherexactlywhatisgoingtohappen.
Wealwaystrytotaketheirmobilephoneoffofthem,sotheycan’tcalltheir
husbandstowarnthemthatwe’regoingtobeintheirhouse.
Andthenduringthattime,I’venormallygot20minutesor30minutes.SoI
haveanassistantwithmewhohelpsmedotheshoppingandmakessureI
don’tmissanything.AndIsortofrunovertothemandIquicklybrainstorm.
I’mlike,“Okay,theylikeseafoodandtheylikemushroomsandtheywant
somethingwithchocolate.Whatcanwedo?Whydon’twedosomepasta?”
AndthenhalfthetimeIchangemymindwhileI’mwalkingaroundthegrocery
storeandweseedifferentingredients.
Ithinkthat’salwaysanicewaytogetyourinspiration.Walkaroundthegrocery
store,andthenwhenyouseesomethingthatcatchesyoureye,itmightbe
someasparagusoraparticulartypeoffishortypeofmeat.Thenyouseethat
andyou’relike,“OhIcoulddosomethingwiththattonight.”Soyougrabitand
awayyougo,you’vestartedthecreativeprocess.
Actually, we’re the easiest people in the world to cook for, because if somebody else is cooking, we think it’s lovely. It’s very nice, because it is so rare for us.
49
What pickup line would you like to hear from a lady?
Letmethink;Ihaven’theardoneforawhile.It’squiteembarrassing,
becauseIgotothesupermarketnearmyhome,andeverytimeIgoto
thegrocerystorenow,justtobuyfoodformyself,peoplelookatmelike,
“Ohmygod,wherearethecameras,wherearethecameras?”
TheotherdayIwasinagrocerystore,andtheladywhoworkedthere,
it’sabigplacecalledWholeFoods,andwheretheyworkthereisallthis
differenttypeoffoodavailable.Youcangetsushiorsomestir-fryand
theyactuallycookitforyouthere,andyoucaneatitatthebar.
Iwasdoingsomeshoppingandshecameupandsheputherhand
onmyshoulderandIturnedaroundandshesaid,“Nowwhoareyou
cookingfortonight?”AndIsaid,“I’mnotcookingforanybody.”Andshe
said,“Okay,I’mgoingtocookforyou.”Andshetookmebythehand
andtookmeovertotheplacewheretheycookandshecookedme
somethingtoeat,whichwasreallynice.Sothatwasagoodpickupline.
So other than cooking, is there anything else that you
like to do?
That’sinteresting.I’vebeendoingsomeworkonarangeofkitchenware.
Atthemomentwe’remakingpotsandpansandknivesanddifferent
typesofchoppingboards.Ithinkwhat’sreallyinterestingformeisto
tryandcomeupwithwaystoencouragepeopletocook.Becauseto
meit’sthecornerstoneoflife,ifyoucooknicefoodforyourfamily,then
yououghttoenjoyittogetherandtheconversationisgreat,andthe
relationshipbetweenyourfamilymembersarereallystrong.SoIthink
onewaytotrytoencouragepeopletocookforeachotheristocook
nicefoodontelevision.
AnotheravenuethatI’msortoftakingatthemomentistoproduce
homewaresthatsolveproblemsforpeople.So,forinstance,I’mdoinga
bigchoppingboardatthemoment,whichhasgotaholeinit.It’smade
frombambooandinthehole,youputthescraps.Sayifyoupeeledan
onion,you’dthrowtheonionskininthehole,andtheholegoesthrough
toalittlestainlesssteeldrawer.Andontheothersideoftheboard,
therearelittlecupsthataresortofstorage.Soyoucanslicetheonion
andpushitintothecup.Soifyou’redoingastirfry,youdoallofyour
preparationontheboard.Wecallitaworkstation,theworkbenchand
thenitmakesthecookingprocessveryeasy.
SoIsupposemygoalisthesame,butIlovethatsortoftryingtomake
people’slivesabitsimpler.Sointermsofhowwedothecookwareand
brandisundername,it’sCurtisStone.Ifinditreallyinteresting,because
I’vespentsometimeinChina,whereweproducemostofit.Andgoing
aroundtothefactoriesandseeinghowthingsareproduced,it’sreally
quiteamazing.Sohopefully,you’llbeseeingabitmoreofthatsoon.
after hourscurtisstone
What has been your most rewarding experience
so far as a chef?
I’mgoingtotellyoutwo,becausethefirstone,aschefyou’resobusy
inarestaurant,you’realwayscookingforcustomersandyou’recooking
thesamesortoffoodlikeyoualwaysdo.AndthenIgottheopportunity,
throughworkingasachef,todotheshowSurfing the Menu,andtome
thatwasjustamazingtogetoutandmeetproducersandtoreallysee
howthefoodisproducedonafarmoronafishingboatorthatsortof
stuff.Sothatwasanincredibleexperience.
AndIthinktoo,throughbeingabletodotelevisionandwritebooks,you
getanamazingfeeling.Ihadaguycomeuptomeinthestreetabout
threemonthsago.Andhesaid,“Curtis,Iwanttoshareastorywithyou.
Mywifenevercookedfishbefore,”andhesaid,“Myfavoritethingisfish.
Shewatchedoneofyourshowsandyoumadeareallyeasydishwith
grilledsalmonandsomerisottoorsomethinglikethat.”Andhesaid,
“Shetrieditthatnightandnowshecookssalmonandshecookssea
breamandshecooksallthisdifferentfish.”
Andhewassoexcitedwhenhewastellingme,andIthought“Ohthat’s
sonice.Igottotouchsomebodyandtochangethewaytheyeat.”So
thatreallygivesyoualotofinspiration,Iguess.
What do you think makes a great cook?
Somebodythatdoesn’ttakethemselvestooseriously.Ithinkthatyou
cangetanysortofingredientandyoucandoabunchofdifferentthings
withit.SoIdon’tthinkyouneedtosticktoocloselytoarecipe.Just
followyourinstinctsandwhateverwillbe,willbe.Somebodythatcan
learnfromtheirmistakes.
Take Home Chef,Wednesdays,
8.30pmavailableexclusivelyon
Astro,Channel707,
DiscoveryTravel&Living
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